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Aviation glossary

Nacelle

Also: engine nacelle, engine cowling

Engines

Streamlined housing around an aircraft engine that brings together the air intake, access cowlings, thrust reverser and exhaust nozzle.

What it is

The nacelle produces no thrust itself, but it has a large influence on engine performance. Its intake must deliver smooth air to the fan in every phase of flight, its outer contour must create as little drag as possible, and acoustic linings inside absorb part of the noise. It also protects the engine and carries the anti-icing system for the intake lip.

On low-wing jets such as the Boeing 737 and the Airbus A320, the nacelle hangs beneath the wing on a pylon; on rear-engined designs such as the Boeing 727 and the McDonnell Douglas MD-80, it is mounted on the rear fuselage. Ever-larger fans have called for inventive solutions: from the 737 Classic onwards, the underside of the nacelle has been flattened to gain ground clearance.

On Vuelopedia

Boeing 737 McDonnell Douglas MD-80

Related terms

PylonStructure that attaches an engine to the aircraft, usually beneath the wing, and carries its thrust as well as fuel lines, wiring and bleed air ducts. Thrust reverserEngine mechanism that, after touchdown, redirects part of the airflow forwards to help slow the aircraft on the runway. FanLarge bladed rotor at the front of a turbofan that accelerates the incoming air and generates most of the engine's thrust. TurbofanJet engine in which a large front fan drives air around the core, producing most of the thrust with greater efficiency and less noise. T-tailTail layout in which the horizontal stabiliser sits on top of the fin, so that seen from the front or rear the assembly forms a letter T.
Whole glossary

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This page was last updated on October 9, 2026

APA

Vuelopedia. (2026, October 9). Nacelle. Retrieved October 16, 2026, from https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/nacelle

MLA

“Nacelle.” Vuelopedia, Fundación Poderia, 9 Oct. 2026, vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/nacelle. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

Chicago

Vuelopedia. “Nacelle.” Fundación Poderia. Last modified October 9, 2026. https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/nacelle.

Harvard

Vuelopedia (2026) Nacelle. Available at: https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/nacelle (Accessed: 16 October 2026).

BibTeX

@misc{vuelopedia_en_glossary_nacelle,
  author       = {{Vuelopedia}},
  title        = {{Nacelle}},
  publisher    = {Fundación Poderia},
  year         = {2026},
  date         = {2026-10-09},
  url          = {https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/nacelle},
  howpublished = {\url{https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/nacelle}},
  urldate      = {2026-10-16},
  note         = {Accessed 2026-10-16}
}

Wikipedia

{{cite web |url=https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/nacelle |title=Nacelle |website=Vuelopedia |publisher=Fundación Poderia |date=2026-10-09 |access-date=2026-10-16 |language=en}}

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